I went on Monster.com found a job add for a sales position at Schmelz Countryside Volkswagen. The Add said "No Sales Experience Needed, We Will Train". I had just spent two weeks trying to get jobs at furniture stores, but they wouldn't hire me because I didn't have sales experience, so I though hey heres a great way to learn sales. The add said VW would pay me $5,000 for during training. It also said if interested come either Mon. Or Tuesday between these particular times.
I went to the interview, filled out an application that VW gave me and then I met Chuck Marchetti. An Italian looking, 5 foot 10 inches, cream suit with gold rings and bracelets. As soon as I saw all that gold he was wearing I thought man that is so typical of a car salesman. Anyways I had the interview and I took it very seriously and at the end he asked me to come back the next day to start training he also mentioned that their would be a tuition fee for the training, but he would not give the amount. So I was like "great I got into the training, and therefore in my mind I thought I was going to be training with the VW group and then get a sales job."
The next day I show up. There is 18 classmates and we are set up in a class-room setting at the Volkswagen location inside there building, so I was sure that this wasn't a scam, because Volkswagen is a reliable company right?
The first day we sat on hard plastic chairs and filled out a boring packet and listened to the larger than life experiences that Chuck had to offer. Up to this point I hadn't paid anything so I was just going along with it. At the end of class Chuck mentioned the tuition for training was $698 and I thought ok so what does this cost cover. Remember I was still believing that this price was the price I would pay for training for Volkswagen not just the training for this Chuck guy (if that is his real name). So I asked Chuck after class "does this price include training with Volkswagen and not just the three days your teaching us?" He said absolutely you will be here Monday morning training with Volkswagen.
The next morning I go back knowing I'm going to pay the $698 only because I believed if I'm going to train with Volkswagen for a couple of weeks there is a great possiblity I will work for them. It's another boring day sitting in hard plastic chairs and talking about how to treat customers (something I already know how to do). We get another packet 60 pages or so and only finish 10 pages.
At the end of class we each go into another room and pay Chuck. So I paid Chuck, class ended and I stuck around and chatted with the other classmates now only 12 classmates are left in the class. I find out that the $698 was only for Chucks training, I freak out inside and I go home.
When I got home, I had a horrible feeling that this class was a scam to get people to pay $698. Normally people pay for classes before they learn anything, I had two days of learning with this guy out of the three days he was there. So really that $698 was only paying for a Certificate (piece of paper saying I listened to this guy) and an interview with Volkswagen.in my mind this is a scam because you aren't getting anything for that amount of money, theres no guaranteed training or job with Volkswagen which is what the AD had said and was the reason I went to the interview.
I went online and googled RJ Williams and Associates, and I found consumer complaints and the Better Business Bureau had many complaints on this company. I called my credit card company and cancelled my card before Chuck could take my money. I called Chuck's cell-phone and told him that I think he is a scam and he would not be getting a dime from me, nor would I be finishing his ridiculous training class. He argued with me saying that anyone can go to usacomplaints.com and write a report, which is true but who has ever heard of RJ Williams and Associates unless they were scammed? I sure had never heard of them before this experience? I he also tried to talk out of it saying that he has been nothing but honest, but really what he was doing was not telling the whole truth and leading people on (being deceitful).
The next day I did not go. I called the manager of Volkswagen, who I only got to leave a message for and he never called me back!!! At this point all I could do was pray that my other classmates would question this guy as much as I did and get out!
If you go to monster.com there are many AD's for different dealerships all over the USA from this same company so be aware! All their AD's are all deceiving as well!
They are still deceiving and selling people the idea that paying $698 will solve all their unemployment problems. I just hope people read between the lines and realize they aren't getting anything for that $698!
To this day I'm still confused if S* Countryside Volkswagen (REDACTED FOR SECURITY PURPOSES) was involved in on this scam or not? Personally I think they would have to know if he was teaching in their building!?
Anoymous
St. Paul, Minnesota
U.S.A.
Sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome!
0 comments